Aerojet today successfully test
fired a full-scale, 67-foot demonstration solid rocket motor for 95 seconds
at thrust levels ranging from 285,000 to 390,000 pounds of thrust. The
motor, strapped horizontally to a massive test stand, burned nominally in
this assessment of the performance, quality and processing of the solid
propellant. Two more hot fire tests in the Lockheed Martin Atlas V launch
vehicle configuration are scheduled for completion by early next year.

"The test is a major milestone in the development of this new motor," said
Mark Kaufman, Aerojet Atlas V program director. "This demonstrated that our
design is sound and our manufacturing processes are in place for producing a
monolithic solid rocket motor of this size. Verification of this technology
paves the way for use of this motor on other space launch systems beginning
with Lockheed Martin's Atlas V, which supports the U.S. Air Force EELV
Program."

This motor testing phase concludes more than two years of design and
development work by a dedicated program team of scientists, engineers and
specialists at Aerojet, and moves this important next generation U.S. launch
vehicle closer to actual production. Medium-to-heavy-lift launch vehicles
will be used primarily for launches of U.S. government missions as well as
the commercial satellite market. Aerojet's advanced solid rocket motors will
provide reliable, high-performance boosting power to help place these
payloads into orbit.

Aerojet's winning solid rocket motor design derives much of its technology
from the company's extensive experience producing solid rocket motors for
past programs developed to defend our nation, like Minuteman and Peacekeeper
ICBMs, as well as pioneering work on numerous other large and small defense
and space systems. Engineers have been able to capitalize on the inherent
reliability of Aerojet solid rocket motors that is the result of decades of
flight-testing and real mission experience.